Major military engagements organized by theater.
The Burning of Washington on August 24–25, 1814, was a British attack on the U.S. capital during the War of 1812, resulting in the burning of the Capitol, President’s House, and other public buildings. It marked the only time a foreign power captured and occupied Washington, D.C.
The last battle of the War of 1812 is commonly cited as the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, but due to slow communication after the Treaty of Ghent, several engagements occurred later, including the Battle of Fort Bowyer and the Battle of the Sink Hole. This article examines the competing claims.
Lake Ontario was the central naval theater of the War of 1812, where American and British squadrons competed for control of a vital supply line. Despite a massive arms race culminating in the largest warship on the Great Lakes, no decisive battle was fought, leaving the strategic balance unresolved until war’s end.
This article explains the equipment, organization, and tactical employment of artillery by American and British forces during the War of 1812, including field guns, howitzers, siege pieces, and rockets, and assesses their impact on key battles and the war’s outcome.
Fort Erie, a British post on the Niagara River, was captured by American forces in July 1814, became the focus of a prolonged siege, and was destroyed on evacuation in November 1814. The fort’s defense and eventual abandonment marked the end of the last major American invasion of Upper Canada.
The Battle of Bladensburg, fought on August 24, 1814, was a British victory that cleared the way for the capture and burning of Washington, D.C., the only time a foreign force occupied the United States capital.
The Niagara Campaign of 1812 was the initial series of military operations along the Niagara frontier during the War of 1812, culminating in the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812. The campaign exposed the weaknesses of the American invasion strategy and resulted in a British victory at the cost of Major General Isaac Brock’s life.
The Battle of New Orleans, fought on January 8, 1815, produced a staggering disparity in casualties: over 2,000 British killed, wounded, and captured versus only 71 American losses. This article examines the numbers, their context, and their lasting historical impact.
Fort Meigs was a large American fortification built in 1813 on the Maumee River to control the Northwest frontier. It withstood two British sieges in April–May and July 1813, securing the region and enabling the American naval victory on Lake Erie.
The Battle of Cook’s Mills (19 October 1814) was the last engagement between American and British regular forces on the Niagara frontier during the War of 1812. Near present-day Welland, Ontario, American foraging troops clashed with a British reconnaissance force; both sides withdrew, and the Americans soon abandoned Fort Erie.
